Lost Boyz

Four Jamaica, Queens, natives (Mr. Cheeks, Pretty Lou, Freaky Tah, and DJ Spigg Nice) debuted as the Lost Boyz in 1995 with the single “Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless”--a catchy, collection of cautionary ghetto tales. Its success led to a deal with Uptown, which released the crew’s debut album a year later. The no-frills but radio-ready production and Mr. Cheeks’s accessible, fluid wordplay struck a chord with fans, and LEGAL DRUG MONEY went gold with five hit singles. Their sophomore effort, LOVE, PEACE & HAPPINESS (1997), which possessed less commercial appeal but more underground credibility, also earned a gold plaque. A few months after the shooting death of hypeman Freaky Tah in 1999, the crew’s final (and least successful) LP appeared.